Giants Rally Undone by Cardinals' Explosive Eighth Inning in Loss

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ST. LOUIS, MO - SEPTEMBER 21: Jedd Gyorko #3 of the St. Louis Cardinals scores a run against the San Francisco Giants in the sixth inning at Busch Stadium on September 21, 2018 in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)

SAN FRANCISCO - The Giants have played so many big games at Busch Stadium over the past decade, but on their first night in St. Louis this season, they weren't able to handle the role of spoiler.

After overcoming a two-run deficit with a rally in the seventh, the bullpen gave up two in the eighth and the Giants lost 5-3 to the Cardinals. Mark Melancon put two on and pinch-hitter Matt Adams poked a two-run double off Tony Watson.

Here's what else you need to know…

-- Madison Bumgarner threw 32 pitches in the sixth and that ended his night. In his first start at Busch Stadium since the 2014 postseason, Bumgarner was charged with three runs on eight hits. With one start he left, he has a 3.20 ERA, so he'll finish above 3.00 for a second straight year after four seasons under.

-- The Giants fell flat on two early chances to blow the game wide open. With runners on the corners and no outs in the second, Aramis Garcia struck out, Austin Slater lined out, and Bumgarner went down looking. The bases were loaded in the third and the Giants scored a run on a walk, but Garcia struck out swinging to end the threat.

-- Jordan Hicks was sitting at 102 mph, but the Giants found a way to get two runs across in the seventh and tie the game. After a walk of Austin Slater, Alen Hanson pulled a seeing-eye single to right on a 102 mph pitch. Gregor Blanco got the same heat and hit a shallow bloop that Marcell Ozuna butchered into an RBI single. Hanson reached third on a wild pitch and tied the game when Evan Longoria grounded out to first.

-- Aramis Garcia has had a promising month, but his first night at Busch Stadium was rough. The rookie struck out four times.